Well-strainer.



E. E. JOHNSON.

WELL STRAINIQB. Y Arymculonrnm) rn.@,1so5. jY

i wm ma i v v n .lr :Il v Y. Y .4 .1'. :Il: A al .1 Y l l n v Il I l t1/1/ l J v lllllllll wrme/.saco

@h/, @www4 00.42%; 1

UNrTED STATES PAENT OFFICE.

EDWARD E. JOHNSON, or WHITE BEAR, MINNESOTA. f

WELLSTRAINER. o Q A To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARDVE. JonNsoN,` Aa citlzen of the UnitedStates,and a resident of W'hite Bear, in the county of Ramsey and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements `invWellStrainers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to well strainers of that class which are moreparticularly do-v signed for use in bored or driven wells, and which arecustomarily attached to the lower end of the tubular casing or lining ofthe well to admit water to said casing while excluding the sand, etc.,which tends to enter with the water.

The obj ect of the invention is to provide an improved construction indevices or this character, and Yit consists in the matters thus andhereinafter s'et forth andparticularly pointed i terlocking out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawinvs,-Figure 1 is an elevation, partly insection, of a well casing provided with a strainer constructed inaccordancewith my invention in one form. Fig. 2 1s a vertical section ona smaller scale of a cased well having one of these strainers attachedto the lower end of its casing. Fig. 3 is a pers ective view sh wing themanner of forming t e strainer of a spiral Winding of wire of apropriate'cross section. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of thesurface of the strainer, as viewed from without. Fie'. 5 is a sectionaldetail taken on line 5 5 ozig. 4 and showing the shape in cross sectionof the wire which is coiled up to form the strainer and also showing themanner in which the adjacent convolutions of the coil are made tointerlock with each other. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of afragmentof the Wire o whlch the strainer is composed. Fig. 7 is atransverse section, taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 8, showing the manner inwhich a tubular strainer maybe built up of parallel longitudinallyextending strands of wire interlocked according to mv invention. Fig. 8is a side elevation partially in section, of this construction ofstrainer. Fig. 9 is a to lan view of a flat strainer built up of para einstrands of wire, in accordance with m lnvention.

The improved strainer thus illustrated as embodying my invention in oneform, consists of a spiral winding 1 of wire (usually made of brass orother. metal calculated to resist corrosion), between the convolutionsof which narrow-spaces 2 are left to permit Specification of LettersPatent. application med February e, 1905. serrrNm 244,266. i

Patenten sepeae, 190s.

vening spaces 2 may and referably will be continuous ,with each 'fot1er, or Vin other words will form a continuous slit or crevice extendingspil-ally around the surface of the strainer from one'. end to the otherof its 'aethew'ater to enter 4.the well. These inter` Y i tive or wateradmitting surface. order Y to render such splral winding 1 permanent Yin shape and preserve the correct relation of its convolutions, thewirelpf which the Y winding is composed is made of such shape that itsadjacent convolutions will interlock with each other, after the mannerillustrated, for example, in Fig. 5. lt is here shown as provided on itsupper outer face with a longitudinal groove 3, which leaves its up eredge t0 form an outwardly projecting ongitudinal flange 4, and as'revexscly provided on f i its lower inner face with a Ongjitudina]groove 5, which leaves its lower edge to form an inwardly projectingflange 6.' vThe upper edge flange 4 and the lower inner groove 5 arefurthermore so shaped with reference to cach other that said flange ofone convo.- lution will fit into said groove of the next convolution,and interlock therewith suf. ticiently to withstand any endwise strainto 'which the strainer will ordinarily be subjected. To prevent thewinding from uncoiling its ends can be made fast at the top and bottomof the strainer, or to form a more perfect interlocking connection1sufficient in itself to resist uncoiling, the inter- 'mediatc inner edge7 of the wire above the groove 5 can be made to project slightly, (seeFig. 6, and upper portion of Fig. 53, and this projecting edge rolled orspun down over the upper edge of the subjacent convolution after theflange 4 thereof nes entered the groove 5. This forcing or spinning downof the edge 7 is facilitated by rounding over the upper edge ofthe wire,as shown, and it serves to permanently lock the adjacent convolutio'nsof the wire togetifr and make of the winding a substantiallyhornogeneous cylinder.

As herein shown the water inlet crevice 2 is formed between theconvolutiorss of the wire on its outer face, bv making the lower liange6 of the wire slightly less in depth than the u p'er groove 3 thereof,so that in the 1nterloc ving of the adjacent convolutions this flange 6does not quite close the groeve but leaves a continuous spiral opening`netween the lower edge of each superjacent convolw.

next subjacent convolution. Communica#l tion betweenthis crevice 2 andthe interior: Vof the winding is then established, as herein shown, byperforations 9 formed in the thin web 10 ofthe wire which fotheJ back ofits upper outer groove 3. These 'perfcations `Qcan be and are hereinshown-.as equal in 9, which channel, since it increases in area \towardsits inner side, is not likely to be clogged, but will permit thel freepassage into the well of any sand or sediment which is small enough toenter the crevice 2.

The body of the strainer having lheen constructed in some such manner asthat above set forth, its ends maybe formed as desired. As herein shown,these consist of a lower end nipple 12 and an upper end nipple 13, of

which the proximate ends are screw threaded, the one exteriorly at 14and the other interiorly at 15, to correspond with the thread likewinding of the strainer body. Connecv tion is then made between the bodyof the strainer and the lower end nipple 12 by screwing the lower end ofthe winding down over the exteriorly threaded upper end of this ni ple,while connection is made between t e body of the strainer andthe u perend nipple by screwing the upperend or the Winding up into theinteriorly threaded end of this nip le. The joints at the two ends maythen be brazed together, if desired, or may be fastened in any othersuitable Way to render the connection permanent.

The lower ni ple 12 will ordinarily be provided with a bail or cross bar16 beneath which a rod may be hooked to lower the strainer to the bottomof the well casing C or to raise it therefrom. After it is lowered intoplace, any suitable water tight connec-v tion can be made betweentheupper end of the strainer and the casing. This connection Vis hereinshown as formed by a lead collar 17, the lower end of which isVinterlocked with the upper nipple 13, in any suitable manner, as at 18,an the u per end of which can be swaged out to lit c osely against theinner wall of the casing, as at 20.

The helical body oli the im roved strainer construction thus describedoes not require to be kept in stock, but may be readily coiled up asordered 4 and to the diameter desired it being an indifferent matter,with this form of construction, whether such diameter is great or small.The wire of which the winding is composed may be rolled or drawn to itsfinished shape, except for the holes which can be readily punchedtherein, and since no other machine wo'rk is required the stock of whichthe wire is made may be of the hardest quality, with correspondinglyincreased resistance to the abrasive action of thesand. y l l Theeffective i-nlet area of the strainer is relatively large, while itsvmeshl .is relatively small, and itsstrainer action correspondinglyeffective with a minimum tendency towards clogging. The strength of -theconstruction, furt iermore, is unusual, and renders it little likely tobe damaged in han-- dling or in the process of inserting it in the wallor removing it therefrom for replacement or repairs. A

It will be understood that while the cy-' lindrical or tubular form ofstrainer particularly lends itself to pur oses of this invention," andto the spira formation hereinbefore described, the invention may also beembodied in other thantubular 'or cylindric strainers, as, for example,in the flat strainer surfaces re uired in the strainer heads of iltersand t e suction plates of paper makers screens, etc. A These canobviously he formed h parallel stri s of the overlappin' wires and artcuarly by such strips w en in terlocked) and rolled together, in themanner described. It will also be understood that tubular or cylindricstrainers and strainers having curved surfaces generally, may beconstructed in a similar manner of parallel strips which do not runspirally, but extend either lengthwise or transversely of the cylinderor curved surface and are secured together at their ends by the nipplesshown, or

by some corresponding terminal strip or framework.

I clalm as my mvent1on:

LA strand or wire adapted to interlock on itself to form a strainerwall, substantially as described.

2. A strainer wall composed of parallel interlocking strands betweenwhich 'the water is admitted, substantiall as described.

V3. As a new article of manu acture, a stri or wire having longitudinalgrooves an anges constructed .to interlock with the anges and grooves ofa corresponding parallel strip or portion to form a strainer wall,substantially as described.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a stri or wirev having a series ofperforations an longitudinal grooves and langes constructed to interlockwith the flanges and grooves of a corresponding parallel strip or ortionto form a strainer wall, substantie ly as de-- scribed.

5. A strainer wall composed of adjacent tweenwhich the water -isadmitted, substantiallfr as described.

6. A strainer wall comprising overlapping portions co1' strips of wireforming in effect interlocking portions or strips `of'wire be- .formedof a spiral Winding having overlap.

outer and inner Walls, a water admitting crevice being provided betweenthe stripsin the outer wall, andthe inner wall being provided withperforations communica/tin@ with said crevice, substantially as describe7. A -well strainer comprising a' spiral winding having interlockingconvolutions between which the Water is ad1nitted,vsub s tantiallyasdescribed, l

8. A well strainer comprising a.A spiral winding having overlappingconvolutions forming in effect a cylinder having outer and inner walls,a water admitting crevice being provided between the convolutions in theouter wall, and the inner wall being provided with perforationscommunicating with said fcrevice, substantially as described.

9. A well strainer formed of a spiral winding of interconnectedconvolutions provided with water passages, substantially as and for 1the purpose set forth..

10. A well strainer comprising a-cylinder ping convolutions providedwith grooves and flanges interiitting with each other in adjacentconvolutions, and inlet a erturesfextending through the wall of t ecylinder, substantially as described.

,11. A strainer wall composed of parallel interlocking lengths of Wirehaving longitudinal grooves and flanges constructed to interlock inadjacent lengths, and perforations in said wire. forming Water passages,

substantially as described.

12. A Well strainer formed of a spiral Winding provided with Waterpassages and having overlapping convolutions rovided with grooves andflanges interfitting with each other in adjacent convolutions and spunor rolled together to prevent unwinding, substantiall as describen.

13. A weil strainer com rising a cylindric strainer portion formed o aspiral winding,

the coils being interconnected, and end mpplesto which the ends of thewinding are connected, substantially as described.

14. `A well strainer comprising a'cylindric strainer portion formed of aspirally wound wire providedwith an interlocking longitudinal ange andaninterlockin longitudinal oove, and end nipples provi( ed with screw teads engaging t e spiral grooves and flanges of the strainer portion,substan tially as and for the purpose set forth.

,15. A well.' strainer formed of a spiral winding provided with waterpassages and having overdapping convolutions ting with each other andspun or rolled together to preventI unwinding, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

16.. A well strainer formed of a spiral winding of overlappingconvolutions pro' vided with water passages, the overlappin portions ofthe convolutions contacting with each other to maintain the cylindricform of the strainer, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my. invention, I atiix mysignature 1n presence of two subscribing Witnesses this first day ofFebruary, A. D. 1905.

EDWARD -ir..Jorn\iso1\1. Witnesses: i

CHAs. A. STICKNEY, C. C. Jonas.

interfit- I

